What’s up on the farm?

It really feels
like we spent most of the past week dodging weather bullets. While we got
plenty of rain and more wind than we would like, we were very lucky to miss all
of the severe and damaging weather that was rampaging across the state. And
while we have a few areas in the gardens where plants look stressed from too
much rain, we know other farmers whose whole fields are under water, so we are
counting our blessings! All of us are looking forward to this week with its
cooler temperatures and more stable weather pattern.

The wet soil
conditions for most of the week kept us from doing much soil cultivation, but
it was a great week for hand weeding and the crew spent much of their
non-harvesting time rescuing the crops in Plot VI from the invasion of weeds.
If feels like any time not spent weeding was spent harvesting peas! While not
quite the truth, it certainly felt like it, but that time is mostly past. We
will continue to get peas for a while but the big Pea Fest is done for the
season. It appears that the summer squashes are taking over where the peas left
off. The cucumbers and eggplant are just on the edge of really taking off,
which is exciting as this is probably the earliest that we've ever harvested
those two crops.

The animals are
ready for a break in the rainy weather too, except possibly Indigo who LOVES
tromping through mud puddles and can simultaneously drink, run and splash mud
at a high rate of speed. The baby alpaca (still no name) continues to do well
and is keeping us all entertained while she practices running and jumping in
the pasture. It's amazing we are getting anything accomplished as it is so much
fun to watch her.

Upcoming Event: CSA
member Ice Cream Social- Sunday,
July 13th from 2 – 5pm at
the farm. Come on out for an afternoon filled with fresh country air, homemade
ice cream and farm-fresh desserts. We will be sending out an email next week to
gather RSVP’s for this event, but we wanted to give you time to get it on your
calendar. We hope everyone can join us!

A little detail on your produce this week:

Broccoli:
Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your
refrigerator for up to a week. Immediately before cooking, soak broccoli, head
down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to a 8 cups of water) for 5
minutes. Any [organic] critters will float to the top where you can rescue them
or allow them to suffer a salty death. (Note: If you soak broccoli in salt
water before storing, it will become too rubbery and

wilted to enjoy.) Slice the
juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel
particularly thick skin before using.

Cucumber:Store unwashed cucumbers in a sealed plastic
bag in the vegetable crisper bin for about a week. Keep cucumbers tucked far
away from tomatoes, apples, and citrus—these give off ethylene gas that
accelerates cucumber deterioration. You can do a lot of fancy things to the
skin of a cucumber, and when it is young, fresh, and unwaxed, it really only
needs to be thoroughly washed. However, if the skin seems tough or bitter you
can remove it; if the seeds are bulky, slice the cucumber lengthwise and scoop
them out.

Eggplant: Eggplant prefers to be kept at about 50°
F, which is warmer than most refrigerators and cooler than most kitchen
counters. Wrap unwashed eggplant in a towel (not in plastic) to absorb any
moisture and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Used within a
week, it should still be fresh and mild. Many people like to peel, salt, and
drain their eggplant to draw out any bitter flavor; however, bitterness
develops only in eggplant that has been stored for a while, so with farm-fresh
specimens this is generally not necessary. Many recipes call for salting in
order to make the vegetable less watery and more absorbent—much like draining tofu.
Salting is not an essential step, but it can greatly enhance the taste and
texture of your dish and is well worth the extra effort. The shape of an
eggplant determines how it is best prepared. Slice a straight, narrow eggplant
into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut a rounded, bulbous eggplant into
cubes for stews and stir-fries.

Summer Squash/Zucchini: Refrigerate unwashed zucchini and summer squash for up
to a week and a half in a perforated plastic bag or in a sealed plastic
container lined with a kitchen towel. Before using, rinse zucchini and summer
squash under cool running water to remove any dirt or prickles; then slice off
the stem and blossom ends. Slice the vegetable into rounds, quarters, or chunks
according to the specifications of your recipe. Summer squashes and zucchinis can
be used interchangeably in recipes.

Leafy Greens
will keep best if stored in a plastic bag, with the top folded over and placed
in the produce drawer of your refrigerator.For those of you who are new to our salad mix, yes you can eat the
flowers.

Melt butter and
sugar in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until sugar
begins to color slightly. Add turnips, salt lightly, and toss to coat. Cook
over medium heat, tossing occasionally, for 10 minutes or until lightly
browned.

Add water, raise
heat to medium-high and cook, tossing until the turnips are tender and the
water has evaporated, coating the turnips with a light glaze, about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with pepper and serve hot.

Recipe Source: From the Farmers’ Market by
Richard Sax & Sandra Gluck

Broccoli with Asian-Style
Dressing

Be
careful—this can be addictive. You may not want your broccoli any other way
after trying